Though, so much is written and spoken about Badagas, it is a matter of great regret and concern that still the âEXACTâ number of Badaga hattis is not known. The total number varies from 300 to 400. Rao Bahadur H.B. Ari Gowder is known to have sent his assistant HAIKA MATHI in 1940s and 1950s to all over the Nakku Betta to know about the villages and the problems of Badagas, but,unfortunately there are no written records available / traceable.

Badagas, generally, refer to their village or hamlet as â HATTI â spread around âNakku Bettaâ (the Nigiris). Nakku Betta literaly means four (Nakku) Mountains (betta) though there are many more bettas (hills) around which the villages are located.

It appears that initially when the Badagas established their hamlets, they took two very important factors into consideration. Being very environment conscious, they chose a) Direction - always or to a very great extent facing the east [ âHothu (sun) uttua (rising) pakka (side)â] and b) Water source - near a stream (halla) or spring (huttu neeru).

Every hatti had a âsuthugalluâ (sacred triangular shaped stone) at the base of a âbikka maraâ (tree) around which important meetings (Kootu) took place. For the most sacred of all Badaga festivals âHethai Habbaâ - always held on a monday (sovara), the collection of money (Hana kattodu) took place at the suthugallu in an eloborate ceremony on the preceding friday (belli). Let me write about Hethai Habba in a separate article.

The houses of each village were laid out in parallel rows, each row facing the east. The houses had common walls (Gode mane) possibly as a measure of security. Every house had exactly the same configuration of Bayilu (entrance), Nadu Mane (central-living/dining room ),Oge mane (Inner room) which also doubles up as the kitchen with a 'beskatti' (large basket) above the hearth for drying, Pillay (bathroom) and Ereh (a separate room adjacent to the bayilu). Of course, there was an attic (Attulu) above the goge mane - kitchen) the entry to which is from the nadumane. Again, we will discuss about a typical badaga house separately.

[Post script (03/11/06) : My wife tells me that I may not be accurate in describing a typical Badaga house - she mentions about EDA MANE & OGANA MANE. I will give a correct picture soon]

A cluster of villages, which need not be close or adjacent to each other, is called a âSeemeâ. The Nilgiri Hills - Naakku Betta , was divided into four ' Seemes ' and all the hattis were brought under them. What is the basis apart from the geographical consideration (which is not true always) is not known. But one unfortunate fallout was that each 'Seeme' considered itself to be superior and hence there was a lot silent bickering. This carried on till a strong leader like Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowda and after him his son Rao Bahadur Ari Gowda tried to unite all the Badagas so that their problems could be sorted out and properly represented to the Government of the day.

Prof. Paul Hockings may be one of the earliest to mention the number and names of the hattis in his books.

In a laudable effort , Mr. K.H.Madha Gowder edited âNAKKU BETTAâ magazine, had attempted to record all the hattis in one of its issues in late 1970s. I take this opportunity to list the villages as mentioned in âNakku Bettaâ hoping any omission/ incorrect mention will be brought out so that the same can be included / corrected.

I have preferred to use the names as known to Badagas. For example, Jakkada for Jagathala or Manjida for Manjithala or Pedduva for Pethala

I. â Thodha Naadu Seeme â

(
Supposed to be our âDodda Ooruâ. Also known as âRaja Padagiri Seemeâ)

N Bellie has taken strong objection to Santhoor being included. He writes in his post "In Badaga Hatties,
Shantoor
was added as a Badaga Hatty.But Shantoor is not a Badaga Hatty. There non badagas only live, and it is a small bazaar in Ketti. Anyhow Badaga Christians are living in two hamlets nearby Shantoor and they are known as THORAJADA and KOMBUKORAI.
Kindly note this error, and delete Shantoor from Badaga Hatties list "

Now R Ramachandran also writes on 5 Jan 2007 that "Shantoor does not come under any of the hatti/seemae. This is one of the place where people from Ketti seemae and nearby villages who have converted to Christianity live.
Now there are many other people who live there. This is one of the Christian mission centres founded very early in the Nilgiris. This is because Badaga villages do not take any outsider other than the badagas who live by the traditions of Hethai.
May be we ignore this as a hatti".

Yes I agree that Santhoor should not be included but should we not add Thorajada & Kombukorai ?

Last edited by bjaypee on Thu Nov 04, 2010 6:11 am; edited 17 times in total

sathish_waterFrequent poster

Joined: 14 May 2006
Posts: 130

Posted:
Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:19 am

Gud work ....bjaypee ... Expecting more ....

Regards
satish kumar.R

rajunandhaFrequent poster

Joined: 04 Jan 2003
Posts: 293

Posted:
Fri Nov 03, 2006 2:13 am

Excellent work...

_________________Nannnndu...

drramsFrequent poster

Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 340

Posted:
Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:03 am

Dear Mr. BJayPee,
I have been observing all your postings and the specific websites which you had mentioned in here and elsewhere since from the beginning. Despite your busy schedule, youâve been posting very important things, especially related to our badaga community and culture. We, the youngsters are very glad to have you around this site (I would say!!..would I??).

Youâre doing an excellent job indeed!!!

Rgds
Rams

bjaypeeFrequent poster

Joined: 01 Aug 2001
Posts: 198

Posted:
Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:24 am

To all those friends who have written to appreciate, A BIG THANK YOU !

Dr.Ram, I am a 'fan' of yours too. You were the inspiration for me to think and dwell on one of the unique customs of Badagas - 'Karu Harachodu".

I strongly feel that 'badaga.com' has given all of us a platform to express our thoughts without any restrictions. I originally joined as a member in 1990s, due to some server problems I had to rejoin, and was convinced that 'badaga.com' can become a powerful forum. Though less than a 1000 have chosen to become members, the good news is that it is considered a good ref. point by many.

If, through, 'badaga.com', we can come to a convincing conclusion about the number of hattis, it would be a great first step.

My request to all the readers ; " PLEASE WRITE TO TELL ABOUT THE NAMES OF ALL THE HATTIS YOU KNOW & HEARD OF " so that we can compare, correct and come to a conclusion.

Though, so much is written and spoken about Badagas, it is a matter of great regret and concern that still the âEXACTâ number of Badaga hattis is not known. The total number varies from 300 to 400. Rao Bahadur H.B. Ari Gowder is known to have sent his assistant HAIKA MATHI in 1940s and 1950s to all over the Nakku Betta to know about the villages and the problems of Badagas, but,unfortunately there are no written records available / traceable.

Badagas, generally, refer to their village or hamlet as â HATTI â spread around âNakku Bettaâ (the Nigiris). Nakku Betta literaly means four (Nakku) Mountains (betta) though there are many more bettas (hills) around which the villages are located.

It appears that initially when the Badagas established their hamlets, they took two very important factors into consideration. Being very environment conscious, they chose a) Direction - always or to a very great extent facing the east [ âHothu (sun) uttua (rising) pakka (side)â] and b) Water source - near a stream (halla) or spring (huttu neeru).

Every hatti had a âsuthugalluâ (sacred triangular shaped stone) at the base of a âbikka maraâ (tree) around which important meetings (Kootu) took place. For the most sacred of all Badaga festivals âHethai Habbaâ - always held on a monday (sovara), the collection of money (Hana kattodu) took place at the suthugallu in an eloborate ceremony on the preceding friday (belli). Let me write about Hethai Habba in a separate article.

The houses of each village were laid out in parallel rows, each row facing the east. The houses had common walls (Gode mane) possibly as a measure of security. Every house had exactly the same configuration of Bayilu (entrance), Nadu Mane (central-living/dining room ),Oge mane (Inner room) which also doubles up as the kitchen with a 'beskatti' (large basket) above the hearth for drying, Pillay (bathroom) and Ereh (a separate room adjacent to the bayilu). Of course, there was an attic on top of beskatti( kitchen having a hearth) the entry to which is from the nadumane. Again, we will discuss about a typical badaga house separately.

[Post script (03/11/06) : My wife tells me that I may not be accurate in describing a typical Badaga house - she mentions about EDA MANE & OGANA MANE. I will give a correct picture soon]

A cluster of villages, which need not be close or adjacent to each other, is called a âSeemeâ. The Nilgiri Hills - Naakku Betta , was divided into four ' Seemes ' and all the hattis were brought under them. What is the basis apart from the geographical consideration (which is not true always) is not known. But one unfortunate fallout was that each 'Seeme' considered itself to be superior and hence there was a lot silent bickering. This carried on till a strong leader like Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowda and after him his son Rao Bahadur Ari Gowda tried to unite all the Badagas so that their problems could be sorted out and properly represented to the Government of the day.

Prof. Paul Hockings may be one of the earliest to mention the number and names of the hattis in his books.

In a laudable effort , Mr. K.H.Madha Gowder edited âNAKKU BETTAâ magazine, had attempted to record all the hattis in one of its issues in late 1970s. I take this opportunity to list the villages as mentioned in âNakku Bettaâ hoping any omission/ incorrect mention will be brought out so that the same can be included / corrected.

I have preferred to use the names as known to Badagas. For example, Jakkada for Jagathala or Manjida for Manjithala or Pedduva for Pethala

I. â Thodha Naadu Seeme â

(
Supposed to be our âDodda Ooruâ. Also known as âRaja Padagiri Seemeâ)

In Badaga Hatties, Shantoor was added as a Badaga Hatty.
But Shantoor is not a Badaga Hatty. There non badagas only live, and it is a small bazaar in Ketti.
Anyhow Badaga Christians are living in two hamlets nearby Shantoor and the are known as THORAJADA and KOMBUKORAI.
Kindly note this error, annd delete Shantoor from Badaga Hatties list.

_________________N BELLIE (LIC) (Achanakal)

melursenthilOccasional poster

Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 57

Posted:
Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:43 pm

Dear bjaypee,

Congratulations for your excellent work. I will get the details from the district administration and find out if any villages have been left out of this list.

Thanks for the good post

Regards

R.Senthil Kumar

_________________Lets JOIN TOGETHER and ACT for the welfare of the Badaga Community before it is too late

I think Adikaratti is not belong to "Mekku Nadu Seeme". Can you check this.

Bala

--------------------------------------------------------------------

bellielic wrote:

bjaypee wrote:

This is a small attempt to to learn and know about our hattis

Though, so much is written and spoken about Badagas, it is a matter of great regret and concern that still the âEXACTâ number of Badaga hattis is not known. The total number varies from 300 to 400. Rao Bahadur H.B. Ari Gowder is known to have sent his assistant HAIKA MATHI in 1940s and 1950s to all over the Nakku Betta to know about the villages and the problems of Badagas, but,unfortunately there are no written records available / traceable.

Badagas, generally, refer to their village or hamlet as â HATTI â spread around âNakku Bettaâ (the Nigiris). Nakku Betta literaly means four (Nakku) Mountains (betta) though there are many more bettas (hills) around which the villages are located.

It appears that initially when the Badagas established their hamlets, they took two very important factors into consideration. Being very environment conscious, they chose a) Direction - always or to a very great extent facing the east [ âHothu (sun) uttua (rising) pakka (side)â] and b) Water source - near a stream (halla) or spring (huttu neeru).

Every hatti had a âsuthugalluâ (sacred triangular shaped stone) at the base of a âbikka maraâ (tree) around which important meetings (Kootu) took place. For the most sacred of all Badaga festivals âHethai Habbaâ - always held on a monday (sovara), the collection of money (Hana kattodu) took place at the suthugallu in an eloborate ceremony on the preceding friday (belli). Let me write about Hethai Habba in a separate article.

The houses of each village were laid out in parallel rows, each row facing the east. The houses had common walls (Gode mane) possibly as a measure of security. Every house had exactly the same configuration of Bayilu (entrance), Nadu Mane (central-living/dining room ),Oge mane (Inner room) which also doubles up as the kitchen with a 'beskatti' (large basket) above the hearth for drying, Pillay (bathroom) and Ereh (a separate room adjacent to the bayilu). Of course, there was an attic on top of beskatti( kitchen having a hearth) the entry to which is from the nadumane. Again, we will discuss about a typical badaga house separately.

[Post script (03/11/06) : My wife tells me that I may not be accurate in describing a typical Badaga house - she mentions about EDA MANE & OGANA MANE. I will give a correct picture soon]

A cluster of villages, which need not be close or adjacent to each other, is called a âSeemeâ. The Nilgiri Hills - Naakku Betta , was divided into four ' Seemes ' and all the hattis were brought under them. What is the basis apart from the geographical consideration (which is not true always) is not known. But one unfortunate fallout was that each 'Seeme' considered itself to be superior and hence there was a lot silent bickering. This carried on till a strong leader like Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowda and after him his son Rao Bahadur Ari Gowda tried to unite all the Badagas so that their problems could be sorted out and properly represented to the Government of the day.

Prof. Paul Hockings may be one of the earliest to mention the number and names of the hattis in his books.

In a laudable effort , Mr. K.H.Madha Gowder edited âNAKKU BETTAâ magazine, had attempted to record all the hattis in one of its issues in late 1970s. I take this opportunity to list the villages as mentioned in âNakku Bettaâ hoping any omission/ incorrect mention will be brought out so that the same can be included / corrected.

I have preferred to use the names as known to Badagas. For example, Jakkada for Jagathala or Manjida for Manjithala or Pedduva for Pethala

I. â Thodha Naadu Seeme â

(
Supposed to be our âDodda Ooruâ. Also known as âRaja Padagiri Seemeâ)

In Badaga Hatties, Shantoor was added as a Badaga Hatty.
But Shantoor is not a Badaga Hatty. There non badagas only live, and it is a small bazaar in Ketti.
Anyhow Badaga Christians are living in two hamlets nearby Shantoor and the are known as THORAJADA and KOMBUKORAI.
Kindly note this error, annd delete Shantoor from Badaga Hatties list.

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